AI and Robotics
The Applications of AI: The Uses of AI in the field of Robotics Introduction Do you know what runs the smart cars on the road or the Siri/S-Voice that is on your smartphone? The answer: AI or Artificial Intelligence. Since the creations of AI and as it developed, Artificial Intelligence has become a widely-used concept and applied to many different technologies on either small or large scales. One of the main uses for AI is to operate Robotics. AI is already being applied to a lot of things like the Roomba that cleans your rooms or the cars that have sensory notifications when cars are in your blind spot. However, alongside applications of AI, there are also some security, ethical/legal, and social issues that might arise. In the future, once the applications of AI in Robotics improve, it can have a major impact in modern society like robots in the workforce or robots in the military. Background/Current Use The term, Artificial Intelligence, was coined by John McCarthy of Stanford University in 1956. In 1958, his paper that was published, “Programs with common sense”, was regarded by many as the first on logical AI (Bogue, 2014')'. In the subject of AI, it goes further in depth with Machine Learning and Cognitive Learning. Machine Learning involves the design and construction of computer applications or systems that can learn based on their data inputs and/or outputs. Cognitive Learning is where after it gathers information to learn using the Machine Learning, it takes the information of data, patterns, or situations, or the combinations of the three, to reason creatively to make decisions on things that have not happened yet (Machine Learning and Cognitive Systems). Currently, AI is used for subjects like: Virtual Reality, Game AIs, and Robotics and are useful in different fields. In the medical field, Virtual Reality (which is under the concept of AI) is used as a tool for VRET (Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy) for PTSD patients (Senson, 2016). Therapists use the virtual reality to allow PTSD patients to be exposed to their traumatic experience in a safe and controlled environment. AI is also used in many videogames today. Creators of video games uses AI to move NPCs (Non-Playable Characters) or even to get them to react to certain situations in the game. Alongside these uses for AI there are two fields of Robotics that embody the greatest number of AI concepts: humanoid robots and autonomous, mobile robots. For humanoid robots, the best known is Honda’s ASIMO (Advance Step in Innovative Mobility) (Inside Asimo). It has the ability to recognize moving objects, postures, gestures, its environment, sounds, and faces which allows it to interact in a limited manner with humans. For autonomous robots, auto and semi-autonomous robots and robotic vehicles are being developed to conduct very specific tasks such as search and rescue operations and a range of military applications (Bogue, 2014). In Japan, they recently opened a “robot hotel” where almost the entire staff are robots. In the “Henn’na Hotel,” which translates to “strange hotel,” there are robots working the check-in desk, robotic bag-check, and even a robot concierge (Japan’s Robot Hotel). Security Aspects Some security concerns that the concept of AI can have is that since it is based on technology, it is hackable by anybody who can get past its programming. Also, since AI is technology-based, it is prone to EMPs which can shut it down completely. Another security concern that robots can have is that most of the robots used today are single-task programmed, meaning that the robots are only meant to do a certain job. So, because on this programming, if anything goes off the normal, the robot would not know what to do or will continue to do their job even if it is considered wrong. A real-life example of this is “the death of a plant worker in Germany who was crushed by a robot arm designed to install car parts (Frankenstein’s Children).” Although the robots may be sophisticated enough to do their job, they can make poor decisions because they lack the human ability to think outside of the box or react to unknown variables. Ethical/Legal Aspects Some ethical problems/legal aspects that AI could have is that it could be used against the user if malfunctions occur (Frankenstein’s Children). For example, unless the coding for robots are 100 percent accurate and run smoothly, there could be malfunctions that makes the robot attack citizens. Since sophisticated robots are a relatively new concept, they do pose issues to law, regulations, and ethics. Because of this, a study group was created at Harvard University to examine the “Law and Regulation of Emerging Robotics and Automation Technologies.” In their study group they examined robot and automation technologies that are to be released to the mass public such as self-driving cars or robot assistants. The study group had four sessions with their own topics that raises legal/ethical questions about robotics and autonomous technologies: 1. What is a robot or robotic machine, for purposes of law, regulation, and ethics? 2. Design issues in relation to human cognitive response: a. How should “social robots” systems be designed and engineered, and how should they be conceived in various social settings. b. How should the problems of “incomplete” automation be addressed? 3. Design issues in relation to human affective response: a. Trust and reliance issues potentially created by robot design – is it possible that different types of machine design might result in a robot hat under-elicits or over-elicits human trust and reliance with respect to some particular function? b. Are there legal, regulatory, ethical, or “therapeutic” issues raised by social robots that elicit in some people a tendency to withdraw from ordinary social interactions with people. 4. Accountability, liability, responsibility, tort actions, and insurance – the legal, regulatory, and ethical issues of human accountability for what machines do, or fail to do. How is accountability to be maintained through law and regulation – but without tossing out the benefits of the new technologies that will, like all technologies, result in some level of accidents and failures (Law and Regulation). Unfortunately, the study group is relatively new so the results of their sessions have yet to be released. However, examining the topics alone can produce some ideas as to what direction their conversation might be heading to. For the first topic, the clear legal issues that robots and autonomous technologies face is, in the eyes of the law: “What exactly is, or could be classified as, a robot or robotic machine?” To some, a robot could be a well-sophisticated machine that can interact with society with accuracy. To others, a robot could be a toy dog that runs on small batteries that barks whenever someone “pets” it’s head. So the need to distinguish/clarify what would be considered a robot in the law is a necessity. The second topic is focuses on the design of the robot/autonomous technology. Should the robot be designed so that it appeals to the public or should it be designed to fit its function in society? Also, topic two questions the ability to detect faults in automatic operating systems, like in an airplane with autopilot that suddenly does not work. The third topic also focuses on the design but in relations to how a person might behave towards it. It questions whether the design might affect the trustfulness of the robot and if, by having a robot, it desensitizes the user to interacting with robots more and with other humans less. The last topic focuses on accountability. Who would be held accountable if a robot malfunctions. For example, if a person in a self-driving car uses auto-pilot but then gets into a car accident, who would be held accountable? The man who was in the car because he relied too much on the self-driving capabilities, or the car manufacturer or AI developer of the car that gave it the auto-pilot function for not making the auto-pilot completely safe? Social Implications Some social implications that AI technology could have is when AI is applied to robots. Once AI technology becomes more advanced in the robot industry, there could be a possibility for the robots to completely take over jobs from the public. An example of this is with the “Robot hotel” in japan. A reporter asked, Hideo Sawada, the man in charge of the hotel, “Isn’t hospitality about connecting with people…isn’t that an important part of the hotel business. (Japan’s Robot Hotel)” In Sawada’s business point of view, he answered “For five-star hotels that are selling high-end service, human staff are essential…But for three or four star hotels, you need comfortable lodging, and a basic level of communication at a reasonable price. (Japan’s Robot Hotel)” By having robot as a staff, Sawada says that. in the long term, the payroll for robots (repair/improvements of the robots) are far less than having a payroll for human employment (salaries/wages). When it comes to having robots in the workforce, especially in fields of hospitality and nursing, the main concern is the connection aspect with the customer/patient. In nursing, the maids are generally the ones who interact with the patients the most, either by assisting the patient in any way or simply having a conversation with a patient. However, once/if robots are brought into the nursing field, that human connection between patient and nurse disappears. The robots can assist with helping the patient in any way possible but robots, as of yet, cannot have a full conversation with the patient. The same can be applied to hotel hospitality. And, if robots become part of societies everyday lives, we will rely too heavily on robots that we might not be able to do anything on our own. Future Uses Some future uses for AI technology are: Robots in the work force, Robots in warfare, robots in entertainment, and etc. Like the concepts of robotics in the movie, “Wall-E,” once AI becomes more sophisticated, we might be able to have robots assisting humans in our everyday lives and perform jobs that many humans would not want to do like garbage disposal. In terms of warfare, there currently exists technology where a person can control the movements of robots with their mind. If this technology improves and becomes more easily accessible, it could eventually be used in warfare where instead of having human soldiers fight in wars, the robots would be the ones in the field which are controlled by soldiers back at military base. With the hologram fad that been prevalent in Japan in the entertainment industry, a future perspective that japan plans on doing is to create a strong AI that, when applied to robots, can make the robot sing and dance (Nishida, 2012). To be able to do this, it would require better AI coding because it would require “technical issues such as synthesizing natural singing voices and/or body/facia movements… and artistic issues such as producing emotional and aesthetic representations to entertain people (Nishida, 2012).” Conclusion The age of AI technology has just begun and will continue to improve as other technologies advance. Once it improves, it opens the possibilities of being used in our everyday lives. Even now, AI has been integrated into our lives. 3D printers exist to create objects out of nothing by simply inputting a design for the AI to recognize and make. Finger-print recognition is now a common feature that smart-phones have. Auto-pilot on airplanes for the pilots to use on those long flights or even self-driving cars like Tesla or the Google car. Granted, there are still AI technologies like robotics that are not the best yet. Among the robot technologies that exist today, there are some (a) security issues, (b) ethical/legal issues, and © social issues that are always possible. One day, once modern technology, AI, and robotics become more developed, it is possible that in the future, there will be new innovations that can save lives as well as make jobs more efficient.